Look, we all knew this series, even in March, felt like a playoff preview. The Memphis Grizzlies, sitting just a few games up on the New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference standings, had a chance to put some real distance between themselves and a direct rival. And boy, did they take it, finishing the five-game mini-series with a decisive 4-1 victory. This wasn't just another set of regular-season games; it was a statement.
Game 3, a 118-115 Grizzlies win in New Orleans, felt like the turning point. Zion Williamson, who’d been a monster in the first two contests, dropped 38 points, but Ja Morant answered with 41 and that ridiculous game-winning floater over Herbert Jones. It was a heavyweight battle, and Morant just refused to lose. That kind of clutch performance, on the road, against a team breathing down your neck, tells you everything you need to know about where this Grizzlies squad is mentally.
Morant's Magic and Memphis's Defensive Clamp
You can’t talk about this series without talking about Ja Morant. He was the undisputed engine for Memphis, averaging 33.2 points and 9.4 assists across the five games. His burst, his ability to finish in traffic, and his improved decision-making under pressure were just too much for the Pelicans’ perimeter defense. He consistently got to the rim, drawing fouls or creating easy looks for Steven Adams and Jaren Jackson Jr.
But here's the thing: it wasn't just Morant. The Grizzlies' team defense, especially after Game 1, was stifling. They held the Pelicans to just 42.5% shooting from the field in the final three games. Jaren Jackson Jr. was a menace in the paint, racking up 17 blocks in the series. He made Williamson and Brandon Ingram think twice about attacking the basket, forcing them into tough mid-range jumpers or contested threes. Dillon Brooks, for all his eccentricities, bought into the defensive assignment, often shadowing Ingram and making his life miserable.
Willie Green, the Pelicans’ coach, tried everything. He experimented with different defensive coverages on Morant, from hard hedges to drop coverage, but nothing seemed to consistently slow him down. On offense, the Pelicans relied heavily on Williamson’s interior dominance and Ingram’s isolation scoring. They struggled to find consistent secondary scoring, particularly from their bench, which was outscored by Memphis’s reserves 165-110 over the five games. That’s a huge disparity and speaks volumes about the depth difference.
Taylor Jenkins, on the other hand, stuck to his guns. High-pace offense, suffocating defense, and trusting his young stars. He made a smart adjustment after Game 1, putting more emphasis on crashing the offensive boards, which led to 15.6 second-chance points per game for the Grizzlies in the subsequent four contests. That extra possession advantage felt crucial, especially in the tighter matchups.
What This Means Moving Forward
For Memphis, this series win is massive. It solidifies their position in the top half of the Western Conference and gives them a significant psychological edge over a potential playoff opponent. They proved they can win ugly, they can win close, and they can win when their star is carrying the load. The Grizzlies are now 48-23, sitting comfortably in the third spot, three games ahead of the fourth-place Suns, and now a full five games clear of the Pelicans, who drop to 43-28.
Real talk: Morant is playing at an MVP level. If he keeps this up, and Jackson Jr. continues his Defensive Player of the Year campaign, Memphis is a legitimate threat. Their next three games are against the Spurs, Blazers, and Rockets – all teams below .500. There’s a real chance for them to extend this winning streak and build even more momentum heading into April.
For New Orleans, this is a tough pill to swallow. They’ve shown flashes of brilliance this season, but this series exposed some real vulnerabilities, particularly their lack of consistent shooting and defensive lapses when Morant got going. They’re still a very good team, but they need to find ways to get their secondary players more involved and improve their half-court offense when Williamson isn't simply overpowering everyone. Their upcoming schedule is no picnic either, with matchups against the Mavericks and the Kings. They need to bounce back quickly to avoid sliding further down the standings.
My hot take? The Pelicans, despite their talent, are a first-round exit if they run into a healthy Grizzlies or Nuggets team. They just don't have the defensive discipline or the consistent offensive firepower beyond their two stars to win a seven-game series against the West's elite.
A Look Ahead
The Grizzlies are riding high. They’ve got a chance to coast a bit before the playoffs really ramp up. Their focus should be on staying healthy and refining their rotations. The Pelicans, however, are now in a dogfight for positioning. Every game matters. They need to figure out how to integrate CJ McCollum more effectively and get more from their role players like Trey Murphy III and Jonas Valančiūnas, who had a largely forgettable series against his former team.
Bold prediction: The Grizzlies finish as the #2 seed in the West, giving them home-court advantage through at least the first two rounds, and Morant gets a top-three MVP vote finish.